Chile welcomes more than 60 Syrian refugees

Chile's President Michelle Bachelet receives and speaks with refugees from Syria after arriving in the country, as part of a resettlement program for families affected by war or conflict in Santiago, Chile October 12, 2017. (File photo: Reuters)

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet welcomed more than 60 Syrian refugees to the country’s capital of Santiago on Thursday, as Chile joined other Latin American nations in offering safe harbor to families fleeing Syria’s civil war.

At a ceremony at the country’s airport in Santiago, Bachelet greeted 14 newly arrived Syrian families, who will be resettled in furnished homes with social benefits, including monthly stipends, schooling, healthcare and language classes.

“We know you have struggled and what we hope is that, in our country, you will find a place to rebuild your lives,” Bachelet said.

More than 2 million people fleeing wars or persecution have joined the ranks of the world’s refugees in 2017, according to the United Nations, even as the United States and countries in Europe have begun to implement ever more restrictive asylum policies.

The humanitarian crisis has prompted several South American nations, including Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia, to begin accepting small numbers of refugees from Syria.